10 Battle Royale Games Like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)

Fight to be the sole survivor in these last man standing battle royale games similar to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds!

Battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) are all the rage right now. According to IGN, this early-access game has already sold more than 1 million copies, with sales still going strong. The game’s premise is simple. You first leap out of a plane, starting with nothing. You’ll then run around collecting loot, arming yourself to face off against other players as the play-area shrinks. Your goal? To be the last man standing at all costs. Think Hunger Games and you’ve got the gist!

Of course, there are plenty of other battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds available. A few of them have even been developed by the same guy (Brendan Greene aka PlayerUnknown). Here are 10 of them!

NOTE: As of now, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is by far the best-rated battle royale game of its kind on Steam, even at Early Access. By contrast, you’ll find a few titles on this list have received mixed reviews. Regardless, you may consider giving a few of these a try if you’re keen on testing out more battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. However, be warned not all of them have the same overall polish. All titles are available for PC.

All images are copyrighted to their respective owners. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

List of Games Like PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG)

1. H1Z1: King of the Kill

H1Z1 used to be seen by many as the king of battle royale games on Steam (until Battlegrounds came out). However, the game still has many fans who support this long-in-development release for its pioneering strengths and potential… even if much of its early shine is gone.

Like other battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, H1Z1 puts you in a fight to the death against other players. Maps are large with tons of scattered gear and weapons. You’ll be rewarded for kill-streaks and are given ample skins to customize your look. In addition, you’ll find H1Z1 moves at a somewhat arcadey pace – especially compared to Battlegrounds and ARMA 3’s Battle Royale mod (see below).

Developer Daybreak has recently gotten quite a bit of heat from long-time fans, mostly due to unfixed bugs. Cheating is also prevalent. However, to be fair, many fans have applauded the addition of new servers and tweaks made to the core gameplay.

Whatever your opinion, you’ll no doubt find H1Z1: King of the Kill to be easily one of the most popular battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds out there.

2. The Culling

The Culling is often mentioned amid online discussions on battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. It’s easy to see why. On initial release, The Culling came out strong with addictive last-man-standing gameplay, fluid movements, and so on. This title captured a sense of urgency and brutality that is the trademark of the best battle royale games around.

However, many Culling fans have since complained about recent updates that, to them, have diminished the game’s early promise. While graphics have improved, other areas have faltered. For example, your movement is much slower, with loot drops becoming increasingly generic in their content. The developer’s overall trickling response to community feedback has also been noticed. Still, loyal Culling fans continue to enjoy the game’s overall quicker pace compared to, say, ARMA 3 or PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. At its best, The Culling also features pretty intense melee combat, especially with new weapons being added.

Overall, if you’re the optimistic sort, The Culling is worth a shot, albeit a cautious one. We personally hope the game manages to restore some of its early charm.

3: ARK: Survival of the Fittest

As a spin-off, ARK: Survival of the Fittest is among the more complex battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds available. You’re presented with multiple play-styles with a good variety of weapons (e.g. sniper rifles, pistols, etc.). In addition, the chance to tame ferocious beasts adds an element of unpredictability to the familiar battle royale formula. ARK: Survival of the Fittest is also best suited to anyone who prefers longer matches.

On the flip-side, the game does struggle to hold a large player-base. You’ll also need a fairly beefy rig to keep things running smoothly (even with the latest patch). In addition, ARK’s relatively steep learning curve may put you off if you’re entirely new to the genre or series.

Overall, ARK: Survival of the Fittest is one of the more fleshed out battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on this list. The basic last-man-standing mechanics are familiar (i.e. jumping from a plane, play-areas decreasing in size, etc.) with the addition of several mechanics unique to the ARK series.

4. ARMA 3: Battle Royale

On its own, you’ll find vanilla ARMA 3 to be a very well-received military simulator that aims for realistic tactics and warfare. Now, install PlayerUnknown’s Battle Royale mod and you’ll unlock a whole new level of fun.

Similar to the best battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the rules are simple: kill or be killed, last man standing wins. You’ll leap from a plane, rummage for loot, and stalk human preys. ‘Accurate shooter’ buffs will also love ARMA 3’s attention to detail (e.g. gun recoil, etc.) and its slower, more plodding pace (compared to H1Z1). There are also plenty of other multiplayer modes that’ll give you an even better bang for your buck.

All in all, ARMA 3’s Battle Royale mode is well-worth your time if you’re looking for more battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. That’s to be expected since they’re both made by the same guy!

5. Rust: Battle Royale

Inspired by ARMA 3’s Battle Royale, Rust’s own mod foray into this sub-genre has a lot of potential. You begin by spawning on the edge of the initial play-area. You’ll then have to search for loot in buildings and crates as you avoid zombies and other players out to kill you. The play-area starts to shrink as you fight to be the last man standing. Compared to most other games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Rust’s maps feature a lot of wide-open spaces. This may be good or bad, depending on your preference.

In addition, Rust’s Battle Royale mod benefits from rich player contributions. For example, many fans have created designs for realistic buildings that often wind up in the actual game. Servers are also quite well-populated, so you won’t have to wait too long to get into online matches.

Overall, Rust: Battle Royale sits comfortably among other games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds with its own loyal fanbase.

6. Islands of Nyne: Battle Royale

Okay, this game isn’t even released yet! However, we included it on this list of battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds for its high potential. As you’d expect, Islands of Nyne drops you in a giant map where the main aim is to kill other players and be the last man standing. There’s no actual gameplay available yet (at the time of this writing). Still, from what developers have shown, the game seems to showcase gorgeous graphics coupled with fast and furious battle royale action.

Islands of Nyne promises huge matches of up to a hundredplayers. The game also opts for skill-based rewards, giving you bonus armor, weapons, and more goodies the longer you survive. In addition, you can place sideline bets on who you think will win each match. Winning your gamble gives you in-game currency.

It’s still too early to fully judge Islands of Nyne. However, we sincerely hope this indie title will soon find its place among the best battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battleground.

7. Minecraft: Hunger Games

As an older game, Minecraft may have lost some of its luster lately. However, there’s still tons of fun to be gleamed from its various mods – most notably, its Hunger Games mode. The concept is familiar: you fight other players in a struggle to be the last man standing. Combine this with Minecraft’s other tried-and-tested mechanics and you get a pretty cool battle royale game.

You’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of active servers supporting this Minecraft mod. Of course, Minecraft being Minecraft, don’t expect the ‘real-world’ graphics of most other battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Instead, you’ll be fighting to survive voxel-style.

Overall, Minecraft: Hunger Games is more simplistic compared to, say, ARK or ARMA 3. However, you’ll find this battle royale mode to be a perfect fit if you enjoy straightforward mechanics and fun.

8. Last Man Standing

From its title alone, you know Last Man Standing is all about big battle royale fights. However, reviews for the game are mixed at best. On one hand, many have complained about major glitches and poor optimization. Not good considering Last Man Standing isn’t an Early Access title.

However, on the flip-side, the game is free-to-play. So, really, you don’t lose anything from trying it out. In fact, Last Man Standing actually features a decent variety of weapons with tons of customization options. Battle royale matches can also get quite fun thanks to numerous competitive events, rewards, and a decent sized player-base.

In short, Last Man Standing warrants inclusion in our list of battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Yes, some fixes are needed. However, again, it’s free and really isn’t half bad.

9. Infestation: The New Z

A rework of the original Infestation: Survivor Stories, this battle royale game features very familiar gameplay. You’re thrown into a large map, search for loot, and eliminate other players until you’re the sole survivor. As a plus, the developers have included an anti-cheat system to keep things fair (even if players sometimes find themselves banned without reason). Weapon and armor choices are also decent.

However, be warned. The developers of this game are notorious for abandoning projects midway through to create new ones. So, don’t expect major bugs or issues to be quickly fixed. Yes, patches are released, but these seldom address the concerns of its community (e.g. the semi-broken spawn system, etc.)

Overall, Infestation: The New Z pales in comparison to other best battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. However, like Last Man Standing, the game’s free-to-play. So, really, you’ve got nothing to lose but time.

10. Unturned: Arena Mode

Even as an Early Access title, Unturned has gotten strong reviews for its addictive multiplayer sandbox survival gameplay. Best of all, the game now features Arena Mode. As you’d expect, this mode is all about battle royale matches with players spawning at various locations, all trying to kill each other. A white barrier slowly shrinks the play-area, forcing everyone to face off in a fight to the death. Various loot and weapons are readily available in buildings and open-spaces.

Unturned showcases a similar voxel style to Minecraft, which will appeal to some. There are also zombies that add a twist to the standard battle royale formula. Occasional bugs do exist. However, sole creator Nelson Sexton is renowned for his community responsiveness. Best of all? Unturned is free-to-play.

Overall, you’ll surely want to keep an eye on Unturned: Arena Mode if you’re remotely into battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.